Psalm 19: Rewritten for a University Philosophy Class

[To stretch my creative Bible-reading skills, I re-wrote Psalm 19 (which praises the works and law of God) for a university philosophy class. Below is my short essay or lecture message.]

In the matter of the existence of a higher being, we need look no further than the skies above our head which, though silent, speak to his existence every day and night. Though they do not talk, they speak volumes. Though they do not utter a word, they testify to his unparalleled craftsmanship. Their message is so powerful, that it transcends language, telecommunications infrastructures, and cultures to reach even the most remote parts of the earth.

Part of their message comes from the sun – an otherwise inanimate cosmological object that in and of itself is a testimony. Like all creations, the sun tells us a bit about its creator. The sun did not choose to be the sun; it did not choose to be placed in the sky; it did not decide to follow the same orbital course day-by-day. However, it encapsulates unthinkable joy. Each morning, it bursts forth like a young man after his wedding and it is as exuberant as an Olympic athlete with one foot on the start line. It is continually filled with a level of joy and anticipation that we can experience only in fleeting moments. It is so effective in being what it was created to be that nothing in all the world can hide from its heat.

The creator of the sun — this being who is the source of all joy and who sends his message to the farthest corners of the world, excluding no one – has also given us his law to live by to revive us, make the simplest people wise, bring us joy, and reward us greatly. Looking at the heavens, we can see that this being’s law is not intended to punish us, beat us down, or oppress us. Instead, it is to include us, fill us with joy, and give us the opportunity to be as effective as possible in what we were created to be. The creator’s law is perfect, trustworthy, clear, true, and fair. It is a perfect picture of the one who created it (and us). In fact, it is more desirable than gold and more sweet than honey – both of which are mere creations.

However, when we pause to consider our place with respect to this law, it is readily evident that we do not measure up to its standards. If we can only attain in fleeting moments what the sun attains 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, we surely fall short of the perfect law of the creator. Think of all the things we must do to grieve this marvelous higher being! Hurtful things we speak, malicious things we do, critical thoughts we entertain, and ways we unintentionally and unknowingly harm others – all these things mire us down, keep us from being filled with joy, and serve to punish us by keeping us from the reward our creator longs to give us. Yet the higher being who established the world has the ability — and desire – to cleanse us from these hidden faults and liberate us from our intentional misdeeds so that we may live freely, innocently, and guiltlessly. What a humbling thought.

As we ponder the works, the law, and the love of this higher being, may we long to please him with the words of our mouth and the thoughts of our heart.